Cell culturing is an essential step in manufacturing biological products, and may be carried out in disposable bioreactors or in non-disposable bioreactors such as steel tank vessels. Oxygen is continuously supplied to promote cell growth, and carbon dioxide is removed. A gas stream entering or leaving a bioreactor may contain moisture entrained within the gas stream. The moisture in the moisture-containing gas stream may condense as the gas stream passes through a filter or other system components. The moisture and/or condensation may be detrimental to the functioning of the filter or other system components. Typically a condenser is used for condensing moisture in a moisture-containing gas stream entering or leaving a bioreactor.
A number of yet un-solved problems are inherent in currently available condenser designs for use with bioreactors. Some related art design incorporate several functionally different areas such as, for example, subducts and different cooling and heating zones, that result in a complex and costly assembly requiring special tooling, specially molded or machined components. Because related art designs are complex and tend to be expensive, such condensers are not truly disposable.
Currently available condensers may have another drawback in that the condensate that is generated from condensing moisture in a moisture-containing gas stream is wasted by being poured into the environment to get rid of it.
Yet another drawback of currently available condenser designs is related to the bioreactor reaction volume loss. If the water vapor from the bioreactor reaction mixture is lost over time and not replenished, then the osmolality of the bioreactor reaction mixture may change to an undesirable level.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved system, in particular, a truly disposable or single-use system and corresponding method that provide a means to reduce the moisture content of a moisture-containing gas stream within a bioreactor system before it passes to a filter or other system components, minimize wasting the condensate generated, and minimize the loss of the bioreactor reaction volume.